The preliminary results for 1997-98 show that the apparent consumption of meat and meat products fell by 1.8% compared with the previous year, to 74.2 kg per capita. The major contributors to this decline were beef, down 3.2% to 36.6 kg and offal and meat n.e.i., down 14.6% to 1.2 kg per capita. Increases were recorded for pigmeat which rose by 1.2% to 17.8 kg, and veal, up 6.1% to 1.9 kg per capita. The per capita consumption of total meat products has declined by 3.2% when compared with 1992-93. Lamb, mutton, and offal and meat n.e.i. all recorded significant falls in per capita consumption since 1992-93. However, beef and veal showed increases of 8.7% and 12.9% respectively, over the same period. The apparent consumption of poultry rose 8.1% to 30.7 kg per capita in 1997-98. When compared with 1992-93, the per capita consumption of poultry has increased by 16.0%.

Percentage change between 1996-97 and 1997-98

The total amount of meat and meat products available for consumption fell 1.3% in 1997-98 when compared with the previous year, but since 1992-93 it has increased by 2.9%. Beef and veal available for consumption has increased 14.6% over the same period, but the amounts of mutton and lamb available for consumption have fallen by 22.1% and 6.0% respectively. The amount of offal and meat n.e.i. available for consumption in 1997-98 was approximately a half of that available in 1992-93. Poultry available for consumption also increased over this period by 22.3%.

DAIRY PRODUCTS

The apparent per capita consumption of market milk fell marginally to 103.7 litres in 1997-98. Milk intake has increased by 2.6% since 1992-93, when consumption was 101.1 litres per capita. Full cream condensed milk fell 5.6% to 2.9 kg per capita in 1997-98 while skim condensed milk rose 4.2% to 1.2 kg per capita, significantly lower than the 3.5 kg per capita consumed in 1992-93. The apparent per capita consumption of full cream powdered milk fell by nearly a third to 0.8 kg. Powdered skim milk also fell, by 19.6% to 1.8 kg per capita. The consumption of infants' and invalids' food remained steady at 1.0 kg per capita. The per capita consumption of cheese remained steady at 10.9 kg in 1997-98, but has risen 20.0% since 1992-93.

OILS AND FATS

Butter consumption rose marginally to 2.9 kg per capita, and was 13.8% greater than the 2.6 kg per capita consumed in 1992-93. The per capita consumption of dairy blends remained steady at 0.8 kg per capita.

The apparent per capita consumption of table margarine fell 5.9% in 1997-98 to 4.4 kg; this was 28.2% down on consumption in 1992-93. Other margarine rose 20.4% in 1997-98 to 2.3 kg per capita, after falling 22.8% to 1.9 kg per capita in 1996-97. Total margarine rose marginally to 6.7 kg in 1997-98. This compares with a fall of 16.3% to 6.6 kg per capita in 1996-97. Since 1992-93, consumption of margarine has declined by 15.7%.

BEVERAGES

The apparent consumption of low alcohol beer rose 3.6% to 24.9 litres per capita in 1997-98. Other beer fell 2.0% to 70.1 litres per capita. Overall, beer consumption showed a marginal decline with consumption of 95.0 litres per capita. In 1997-98, the consumption of wine rose 3.5% to 19.7 litres per capita. Since 1992-93, the consumption of low alcohol beer has increased by 3.6% while other beer has fallen 7.2% and wine has increased 7.4%.

The per capita intake of tea remained steady at 0.8 kg per capita in 1997-98. However, coffee consumption fell marginally to 2.3 kg per capita. In the longer term, tea intake has declined by 22.5% since 1992-93, while coffee consumption per capita has increased 4.2%. The per capita consumption of aerated, carbonated and mineral waters fell to 111.7 litres per capita, down 2.3% when compared with 1996-97, but up 15.1% when compared with 1992-93.

ALCOHOL CONTENT

The trends in consumption of beer and wine are partially reflected in the apparent per capita consumption of alcohol (expressed in terms of alcohol content). The apparent per capita consumption of alcohol from low alcohol beer increased by 3.6% to 0.77 litres alcohol in 1997-98 and since 1992-93 has increased 8.1%. Alcohol consumed in other beer fell 2.0% to 3.34 litres alcohol and alcohol consumed in wine rose 4.8% to 2.26 litres alcohol per capita. The consumption of alcohol in spirits rose 8.6% to 1.39 litres alcohol per capita in 1997-98 and this was 19.4% up on intake in 1992-93. The total per capita consumption of alcohol rose 2.3% from 7.59 litres alcohol in 1996-97 to 7.77 litres alcohol in 1997-98.

ALCOHOL INTAKE BY LEGAL AGE DRINKERS

If the population of those 18 years and over ('legal drinking age') is used in calculating the apparent consumption of alcoholic beverages, the movements are of a similar magnitude and in the same direction as when the total population is used. Consumption of beer was 126.4 litres per person aged 18 and over, while wine consumption was 26.2 litres.

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

This publication contains preliminary statistics on the apparent consumption of selected food items for the year ended 30 June 1998, together with comparative data for earlier years. Final and more detailed statistics and explanations of the methods employed to estimate apparent consumption are published in Apparent Consumption of Foodstuffs, Australia (Cat. no. 4306.0).

Unless otherwise noted, content on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia Licence together with any terms, conditions and exclusions as set out in the website Copyright notice. For permission to do anything beyond the scope of this licence and copyright terms contact us.